I first met Nakahodo Sensei about 28 years ago on Thompson Island. I had a week to watch him and work out with him.

As far as Uechi Ryu goes, he's as authentic as they come. His nickname back then was Popeye because of his gargantuan, outsized forearms. He trained real Uechi Ryu with all the additional training needed to put caffeine in the Uechi coffee.

It's hard for me to put my finger on this, but... This isn't Nakahodo at his best. I've seen his best. He makes precise look ordinary, and powerful seem mundane. This seems like a man who was tired, jet-lagged, or perhaps even doing a "For Instruction Purposes Only" kata. Movements are Broadway Stage large. Except for short bursts (reminding me of his mentor Shinjo Seiyu) techniques are done one at a time rather than blended in a flow. Kata should have pauses, but not lapses of zanshin.

Sanseiryu is a b1tch of a kata to perform, and there are many ways to do it. I've had tests where I've poured my heart and imagination into this form, and then people would come up to me and tell me how great my Seisan looked. I know what I like, and it isn't necessarily what the typical Okinawan values. Fuzhou Suparinpei has pulled me more towards a Chinese-flow way and less towards an Okinawan-karate-by-numbers way. Nakahodo's worst kata is better than most people's best. But this doesn't inspire me to dig deeper. I have seen his best; I am spoiled.

Except for the foot slide. Some make it so effortless. Even some of my students I have taught do it well. For whatever reason, I can't do it (possibly because I'm built like a crane). I covet that ability.

The upper body is fine; the footwork isn't. It's not that the footwork is bad, but rather the upper body outshines it. There are a host of weight-lifting men in my local gym who suffer from this syndrome. In both form and function, balance of forces and synergy is key.

Kata performance changes with age. In both wine and in karate, aging with grace should be virtue. We all fight the battle. There are days when I resemble that which I critique. It isn't a destination; it's a journey.

He's got nuances which shout authenticity. Look at the pelvic snap on the watari uke (0:53-0:56). It is a sign of someone who understands the source of good martial energy. There are flashes of that in other places in the kata, such as the barely perceptible leg involvement in 0:32-0:34. Good stuff!

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum